Air cleaner and the like



Nov. l9, 1935. c. A w s ow 2,021,215 v AIR CLEANER AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 7, 1933 Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES AIR CLEANER AND THE LIKE Charles A. Winslow, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Catherine B. Winslow, Oakland, Calif.

Application January I,

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to air cleaners, and the principal object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for removing impurities from air supplied to the crankcases and carburetors of internal combustion engines for use on automobiles, tractors and the like. 7 Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improved air cleaner having new and improved means for removing foreign matter from the air immediately prior to its introduction into the engine by subjecting the same to an oil wetting operation prior to its passage through the filter material.

A further object of the invention is the provision of anew and improved air filter which is inexpensive to manufacture, easily installed, easily cleaned and which is efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with .the accompanying drawing, in which The figure is a longitudinal, vertical section of the air filter with parts broken away; and

Referring now to the drawing, the reference character 5 designates generally the filter whichcomprises a container or casing l0 having the bottom wall 1 I and the side wall l2. The bottom wall ll forms with the lower portion of the side wall l2 an'oil reservoir or sump I3. The bottom wall II is preferably depressed at its central portion and provided with a drain cock 9 for draining oil from said sump when it is necessary or desirable.

The upper end of the container l0 is provided with a closure M which maybe hinged as at IE to the side wall 12 of the container. The

catch I6 opposite the hinge is adapted to hold the closure 14 in lowered position. The closure is provided with a downwardly extending ink aidly oifset flange member H which is adaptedcto engage within the interior of a wall 2 for forming a substantially air-tight joint.

The bottom wall I l of the container is provided with an axial opening through which the tube 45 or air conduit 2! extends. This conduit terminates at its upper end adjacent to but spaced from the closure M to provide a passage for air, as will presently appear.

Confined in the container between the walls I2 and the conduit 2| is a mass of suitable filter material 22.

The filter material 22 is supported by a partition 23 in the lower portion of the container Ill. This partition is provided with. a central opening through which the conduit 2i extends 1933, Serial No. 650,647

and is supported at its peripheral edge by the air deflectors 24 punched inwardly from the wall l2 of the container. An upper partition 25 in the container I0 is adapted to constitute the upper-confining wall for the filter material. This partition is provided with a central opening 26 through which the conduit 2| extends. The peripheral edge of the upper partition 25 is secured to the wall l2 in any suitable manner as by being seated in the bead 21. The partitions 23 10 and 25 are of foraminous material whereby air may readily pass through the same.

It is desirable that the air upon first entering the casing or container Ill shall first be subjected to an oil wetting process whereby the greater 15 portion of the-dust and foreign matter will be deposited before the air passes into the filter material. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose.

In the form of construction shown, the louvres 20 24, which are formed by making curved slots in the side wall l2 of the container and bendin the tongues or tabs inwardly at an obtuse angle, form means for deflecting air, entering the openings 28 beneath the same, down onto the oil contained in the sump l3.

These louvres or deflectors 24 extend downwardly and inwardly so that the air entering the ports 28 beneath these louvres is directed downwardly onto the oil contained in the sump l3. The contacting of the dust laden air with the oil will wet the dust and other foreign matter contained in the air, thereby causing it to be deposited in the sump l3 before it enters the filter material.

If desired, a conduit 29 may be secured in the upper portion of the casing or container l0 above the filter material. When it is desired to employ the device for cleaning air supplied to a carburetor, theconduit 2| is attached to the intake xgssage of the-carburetor. The conduit 29 may t en be dispensedwith or the same may be placed ;communication with the crankcase above the oil level for-removing gasoline vapors and the like from the crankcase. When the conduit 29 is thus used, the breather pipe is preferably provided with an air filter. If the conduit 2| is attached to the breather pipe of an internal combustion engine, then conduit 29 may be placed in communication with the intake manitual practice the diameter of the conduit 29 comparatively small.

In farm tractors and the like, it is common" may be placed in communication with the upper portion of the crankcase for removing gasoline vapors and the like therefrom.

In the operation of the device, air will be drawn through ports 28 and will be deflected by the louvres M onto the surface of the oil contained in the sump l3 and from thence the air will make a sharp turn upwardly and pass through the filter material which is kept in an oily condition Where the final particles of dust are removed from the air. The air will then pass on upwardly into the upper end of the conduit 2| and from the conduit 2| downwardly into the carburetor. The sharp turn in the movement of the air after it has been deflected downwardly onto the oil in the sump will also causev the coarser particles of foreign matter to separate from the air by its inertia.

The air cleaner may be removed from time: to

' time and dipped in kerosene or gasoline for clean- Oil is sup- 1 ing the dirt from the filter material. plied to the filter material by the air carrying particles from the sump and also from oil mist carried by the air from the crankcase. If desired, oil may also be supplied from time to time by first raising the lid and pouring the oil onto the space around the conduit 2| above the material. The excess will collect in the sump l3 and run out at the openings 28 when the oil level in the sump rises high enough. 4 The structure shown in the drawing is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,888,813, dated November 22, 1932.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in co nection withthe accompanying drawings that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and'that changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope'of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An air filter comprising a cylindrical casing having an oil sump in the lower portion thereona conduit extending axially 'into said casing through the bottomwall thereof, a closure for the upper end of said'casiiig, said closure normally spaced above the upper end of said conduit, filter material extending about? said conduit in spaced relation to the bottom of saidcasing, said casing having a. plurality of openings-in the side wall below said filter material and above said sump and means for directing air entering said casing through said openings dewnward into said sump.

2. An air filter comprising a casing having an oil sumpin .its lower end, a movable closure for said casing, a tubular conduit extending axially upwardly into said casing and terminating short of the upper end thereof, filter material extendhaving a series of openings extending around its lower portion, filter material in said casing, means for supporting saidmaterial above the plane of said openings a conduit for conducting filtered air from said casing and means for deflecting air 15 entering said casing downward onto the surface of the oil in said reservoir for removing foreign matter therefrom preparatory to the passage of said air through the filter material.

4. An air filter comprising a casing having a 20 reservoir for containing oil in its lower portion, a tubular conduit extending into said casing, filter material within said casing extending unobstructed about said conduit, means for supporting said material above said reservoir, and means for 25 causing air entering said casing'due to the engine suction to come into contact with the surface only of said'oil and thereafter pass through said filter material, change its direction, and flow from said casing. D 30 5. An air filterfor internal combustion engines comprising a casing having an oil reservoir in its lower portion, a conduit extending into one end of said casing and terminating adjacent to the opposite end thereof,v filter material extending unobstructed about said conduit above said reservoir and spaced therefrom, and means including said conduit for conducting air through said casing and for causing air entering said casing to be directed downwardly onto the surface only of the oil in said-reservoir and to pass upwardly through said filter material for removing foreign matter from said air.

6. An air filter for internal combustion engines comprising .a casing having an oil reservoir in its 4.5 lower portion, a tubular conduit extending. into said casing, filter material within said casing and extending uninterruptedly around said conduit,

. means for supporting said material above and in spaced relation to said reservoir, and means ineluding said conduit for conducting air into i I and fromsaid casing and for causing said air on entering said casing to be directed downwardly onto the surface only of the oil in said reservoir 'and toreverse its flow and to pass upwardly '"through said filter material for removing foreign matter therefrom.

7 An air filter for internal combustion engines comprising a casing having an oil reservoir in its lower portion, a unitary filter element within 00 said casing above the normal level of the oil in said casing, means for supporting said element above said oil, passages leading into and from said casing for conducting air into said casing an- V terior of said filter element and for conducting g5 filtered air from said casing, and means above the oil level for deflecting air entering said casing onto the surface only of said oil prior to its passage through said filter element.

CHARLES A. WINSLOW. 

